The Professional Training of Chinese Storytellers and the Storytellers’ Guilds
The Professional Training of Chinese Storytellers and the Storytellers’ Guilds

Author(s): Věnceslava Hrdličková
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Sociology of the arts, business, education, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
Keywords: Oral tradition; Chinese storytelling; apprenticeship; professional training; guild; tea room;
Summary/Abstract: The paper provides a comprehensive look at Chinese storytellers’ professional training and guild organization, emphasizing the importance of oral tradition in Chinese literature and culture. It describes the strenuous path to mastery of storytelling, including accepting a pupil into the apprenticeship, the slow process of initiation into the mysteries of the storytelling art, the rigorous training system, and the nature of first performances in public. Moreover, the paper mentions several artistic techniques. Storytellers used various aids, such as secret handbooks and orally transmitted “magic formulae” to guide their performances. Despite this, an essential skill for storytellers was the ability to improvise, adding new elements to stories and responding to audience reactions. The second part of the text analyzes the role of storytellers’ guilds, which not only regulated their activities and protected their interests but also played a crucial role in maintaining high artistic standards. Furthermore, it describes the characteristic features of the tea rooms, where the storytellers, based on their artistic proficiency, hold their performances.

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